I paid £889 for a robotic vacuum that does not work: CRANE ON THE CASE

In December 2022, I purchased a Roomba robotic vacuum cleaner for £889.

It labored positive till August 2023. Then, it could solely clear or cost for a couple of minutes earlier than stopping and enjoying the ‘I’m completed’ tune. This occurs repeatedly till the gadget is reset.

I referred to as iRobot, the producer, however could not get by means of for almost an hour. I despatched an e mail, and ultimately somebody referred to as me again and gave me directions on how I would repair it.

It nonetheless did not work, so on 3 September I emailed iRobot asking for a substitute Roomba. I emailed once more on 6, 21 and 25 September however bought no reply.

On 3 October, I referred to as iRobot once more and, after holding for greater than an hour, was informed that the particular person I used to be chatting with could not elevate a criticism or switch the decision, however that somebody would name me again.

They didn’t, so I adopted up with emails on 5 October, 8 October and eight November which have all had no response.

It seems from the iRobot web site that the Roomba has a two-year guarantee, which I ought to nonetheless be lined by. Can you assist? C.W

Helen Crane, This is Money’s shopper champion, replies: For the uninitiated, a Roomba is a small disc-shaped gadget which which customers can program to hoover throughout their home whereas they sit again and loosen up.

The dust-busting droid may be instructed to take a sure course round your own home and keep away from sure areas (so no falling down the steps for instance).

It’s a nifty invention, and in information that can shock no-one, shopping for a robotic so that you by no means need to vacuum your own home once more has proved common. There at the moment are even self-emptying Roombas and Roomba mops.

But the comfort comes at a value. You paid £889 on your high-tech vaccum- so that you anticipated it to final for years.

Sadly, that wasn’t the case. It conked out after eight months, and also you had been again to pushing round a vacuum your self. How old school!

It got here with a two-year assure, although, so that you had been assured you’d have the ability to have it repaired, refunded or changed and get again to the longer term.

But sadly your many calls and emails went utterly ignored by the corporate – and on the uncommon events you probably did get by means of, there was little assist to be discovered.

It appears the robotics agency may do with a number of extra people round – particularly within the contact centre.

As you paid by bank card, you possibly can doubtlessly have sought to get the cash out of your card supplier below Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act.

Under this safety, the financial institution could also be required to reimburse you if a services or products you purchased wasn’t as promised and you’ve got tried – and failed – to get the cash again from the agency who bought it to you immediately. The merchandise should price between £100 and £30,000.

However, you paid through PayPal which implies this safety doesn’t at all times apply. You did elevate a dispute with the funds service, however informed me it closed the criticism as a result of your transaction occurred greater than six months in the past.

After attempting to pay money for iRobot for greater than three months, you contacted me. You mentioned you needed me to publicise the agency’s customer support, which you described as ‘horrible’.

I took the problem to iRobot, and likewise discovered my preliminary message to the agency went unanswered.

Then, every week or so later, one thing unusual occurred. 

I obtained a message from you thanking me for my assist to date, however saying that you possibly can now not communicate to me about your Roomba.

I immediately recognised this heavy-handed tactic as one which corporations use to try to maintain dangerous tales about them out of the information.

It is my perception that iRobot provided you a refund or substitute, on the situation that you wouldn’t share the main points of this with me.

Sadly, this occurs once in a while once I contact firms to inform them about readers’ complaints – with some even asking them to signal authorized paperwork to say they will not inform anybody what has occurred. 

A short time later, I obtained this reply from an iRobot spokesman. 

‘As a buyer first group, iRobot’s award-winning care workforce is dedicated to offering clients with an distinctive degree of service. 

‘iRobot takes the privateness of our clients critically, and it’s our apply to not publicly focus on particular buyer interactions.’

I perceive that you simply simply needed your vacuum mounted or your a refund, and forgive you for giving me the brush-off.

But I believe the agency nonetheless deserves to be named and shamed for ignoring so a lot of your calls and messages – and for under sorting it out on the situation that you simply stored quiet.

You paid an terrible lot of cash for one thing that did not work – and the issue ought to have been put proper immediately.  

I additionally needed to warn different firms contemplating gagging complaining clients that, whereas they could have the ability to silence them, they cannot silence me.

I hope that every little thing did get sorted, and {that a} new robotic vacuum is fortunately shuffling round your toes as I write. 

Why will not John Lewis assure cowl damaged iPad?  

I’m 75 and purchased an iPad in May 2023 so I may video name my youngsters who reside across the nation. I bought it from John Lewis and it price £1,369.

In October it developed a fault whereby it charged to 23 per cent after which wouldn’t cost any extra. I referred to as John Lewis as I believed it could be lined by its two-year electronics assure. 

John Lewis mentioned I needed to ship it away to Apple. Apple reported again that there was inside harm – attributable to me – and mentioned I must pay £600 for the restore. 

I’m adamant that I have never broken the iPad myself. I’ve taken excellent care of it and solely ever charged it with the offered cable. 

I wasn’t proud of that response, so I contacted John Lewis once more and was informed to ship it on to them. They mentioned the identical factor however requested for greater than £800 to restore it.

I really feel John Lewis is accusing me of mendacity, which I discover upsetting as a loyal buyer and a John Lewis card holder of for 30 years. A.C, Oxfordshire

Helen Crane replies: I’m sorry to listen to that your new iPad wasn’t the Apple of your eye. 

John Lewis says that it affords a minimal two-year assure on all electricals, at no additional price. It even specifies on its web site that this covers Apple merchandise. 

But the duvet comes with an enormous checklist of exclusions, together with not solely unintended harm but in addition defective software program, viruses, ‘neglect’ of the product and ‘failure to observe the producer’s normal care, upkeep directions and set up pointers’. 

An inventory that lengthy may permit the retailer to wriggle out of protecting virtually something.

In your case, you insist that the harm to the charger port wasn’t unintended and attributable to your self, however as an alternative was the results of a fault. 

You informed me: ‘I can not see how it may be broken internally by me simply placing the charger in.’ 

Annoyingly, neither John Lewis nor Apple revealed to you what precisely they discovered of their investigations that ‘proved’ you had been responsible.  

I spoke to John Lewis and requested if it could rethink changing your iPad. 

I’m sorry to say that it declined. However, it has provided you £200 in direction of the price of the restore, in the event you select to have it mounted with John Lewis’ repairs accomplice. 

As that solely brings it right down to £600, the identical price as repairing it with Apple, the supply doesn’t look significantly tasty. 

A spokeswoman mentioned: ‘We’re actually sorry that A.C has been sad along with her buy. Both Apple and our personal restore agent concluded that this subject was attributable to harm to the charging port.

‘While this is not lined by our guarantee, as a gesture of goodwill, we provided a major contribution of £200 in direction of the price if she decides to have the iPad repaired.’

I believe John Lewis might have misplaced a loyal buyer right here.